Original subtitles

A stadium is like going to a theatre. Playing football is like a ballet.

I think it's... looking at the way Messi plays,

looking at the way Messi moves,

you know, and that's how we want to do it on stage.

So we're really inspired by the way he dances on the pitch.

He glides so beautifully that he makes it look easy.

It's very strategic, it's very clever.

And I want that type of intellect to be felt in the show as well.

My first job was to figure out what sort of concept could I create

for a player, a legend like Lionel Messi.

People are gonna expect you to talk about his life story,

and I didn't want to go that route

because all of that story is already out there.

Last season I played a match and after a few minutes I was injured.

Now I am so happy to be back.

They scored five goals and I hoped to score.

At the end it was all very nice.

There were several experienced players, such as Luis Enrique, Xavi, Márquez...

That was really good.

What I ended up coming up with was ten, I would say skills, that make up

an icon like Lionel Messi.

The first one that we wanted to explore was the art of training.

Sing when you come out.

There's an audience now. Attack that audience when you go there,

party with them, sing with them, enjoy it with them.

Like, if you just do it yourself, they're not gonna party with you.

But if you go to them and you're partying,

they're gonna love it.

I'm counting to ten.

The second element was the art of dribbling.

The footballers have limits, but Leo goes beyond all of them.

Another skill that I wanted to focus on was the fact that, you know,

Messi is fast.

Speed.

We wanted to really showcase

what happens when you have amazing balance like Lionel Messi.

And what happens when you don't have balance like Lionel Messi.

We wanted to do the yin and yang, the opposite.

And then, lastly, in the first half, we focus on strength.

So that's the first half of the show.

The second half of the show, we start with where did all this creativity

of Messi come from?

The athlete's confidence.

So we go back to street football.

And then, from there, we go from the past to the future.

And the future is celebrating:

How do a lot of people in today's generation know Messi?

Through gaming.

Gaming's huge in the world of football.

And then we go into a more poetic part of the show

where we focus really on what's really important in Messi's life.

The fans that support him on the pitch.

Thank you so much!

And then there are people that support him off the pitch, which is his family.

After this, we're going to our last two unique strengths,

I would say, of Messi.

One, his vision.

He knows which steps to take in order to achieve his goal on the pitch.

And then, from there, we go into our final celebration,

which is what everybody loves, you know, Messi for as well,

is the amount of goals that Leo Messi scores.

-Messi... -The first one for Barcelona!

Goal, goal, goal, goal!

Leo Messi!

-The shot... -Messi!

Goal!

Welcome to Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil.

Get ready, because this is gonna be a kickass show.

Oh, no, we cannot say "ass."

Barcelona is the place that allowed Leo to grow.

It's the place where he made his career,

and also, it's a place where he obtained success.

So it's a place where I feel Messi feels invincible.

Before the interview, could you sign my face?

-Where? -Here, please.

-Really? -I'd kill for you!

How does the world of football and the world of circus come together?

The idea, for me, that sparked this project

was that football without fans is nothing.

They cry, they laugh, they're angry at the players,

then they love the players straight away.

Same with the public of Cirque du Soleil as well.

I felt like there was something there that had to be spoken about.

There's a story there.

We had to make sure we had this in mind,

and you had to relate to this, you had to make sense because of this.

The god of football!

We've never done something with an athlete,

so it's something that's completely different for us.

So it was like, "Okay, it's a challenge."

But that's what Cirque du Soleil is all about.

It's hard to think

about how the circus is going to give this twist to football.

We're basically inspired from how great he is,

and how awesome he is as a football player.

But we're not... We are not gonna play a Messi song

on the show, basically.

So this is why the approach is different.

The circus, with its way of seeing the world...

A company that changes the historical paradigm of the circus

and the circus' natural parameters with a presenter and language,

it takes away the narration, the language, and the animals.

Imagine that team... and a guy who changed football.

People were telling us,

"He doesn't speak a lot, he won't give you a lot of comments."

And, at the same time, we wanted to get his feedback

to know if we were going in a direction that pleased him.

So we were walking in not really knowing what to expect.

We're preparing, basically,

for the presentation to the big man himself tomorrow.

So it's just great to have everybody in the same room

so that we're all on the same page.

Over there you have the first t-shirt,

where he played the first time in the national team of Argentina.

This is the first time that he makes the first official match with Barça,

but not being still a professional player.

Oh, wow.

And here you have the golden boots.

Of course, there were jitters and anxiety.

We are talking about the most important player of our time.

With a person like Leo, who is an innovator and a great artist

on the football pitch.

So we're all very happy to be here and to finally meet you.

First thing, this is the first time

we present to someone who's actually living

a show that we developed.

So if sometimes it will be a bit awkward.

The second thing, this is the concept of what we want to do.

It's not the final show, so things will evolve with time.

But it's what we-- The essence of what we want to do.

So one month ago, two months ago, I met with Rodrigo, Pinto, and PopArt.

And I said give me one word that, you know, you want to feel

when you come to the show.

We saw hard work, honest, sacrifice, fans, passion,

but one thing that kept on coming back was nothing is impossible in your life.

I think we were very lucky because we had someone like Messi,

who's very busy in his everyday life,

very open to the project, very giving to the project.

And a very honest and humble man.

Most of the time, obviously, I wasn't that much looking at Mukhtar,

I was looking at him to try to catch his reaction

and see what he likes, and what he doesn't like.

So that was quite interesting to see,

and start to understand a bit more about him, so that was good.

I would like to include my family,

-how was the journey... -Excellent.

That's all important, we'll pass it on to Mukhtar

and he'll create something with that.

Yes, the Muse thing you see, but...

It is not understood, half of them understand it,

but not the other one.

For me, the more feedback he can give, the better for me.

We would love for him to be integrated.

We had a character in the show called The Muse.

And The Muse was a source of inspiration in Messi's life.

But this changed, this idea changed slightly

the first time that we presented

the concept to Messi.

He wanted, in the show, he wanted us to celebrate his family

in a unique way.

He said, "I'm here because of them, so I want people to know that.

You know, they've been a huge support in my life."

So we had to present to him three times, I think, the concept three times,

just to see the innovation of the project, how the project was growing.

Today we're going to pass you this and if you can give us some comments,

if you saw something you want to change... No rush, have a look.

l'll look at it, but the truth is that I loved everything.

-I'd like to see it when... -Sure.

He wants to see, like, the show.

I was touched by that, because he trusts us fully,

and he wants to be able to be like a kid in the audience

that's able to watch something for the first time.

Phew. You know, we're not... we were honoured the first time.

But the second time was like, "Wow, you guys nailed it."

I used to be a choreographer working in the dance world a lot.

And the difference now that I have is the support that you get

when you work at Cirque on the production side,

but also, on the creation side.

I have communication with the production team,

the technical team,

but also the coaches, the choreographers,

the head of video, the head of lights.

Just because the vision is very, very clear,

so it's my job to make sure that everybody is putting what they need

to make this vision happen.

I think the first crack in the creation process

was when we were looking at one of the first drawings that I did.

You know, heightened, or abstract, or, you know, potentially surreal...

version of a football kit.

In some cases, you know,

I may have drawn seven or eight different versions for one costume

before really landing on the version that finally we're using on the show.

When we kind of landed on one,

there's something in it that it seemed to be radiating the energy

of the fans in, you know, in a football stadium.

When we all saw that it kind of clicked, you know,

where we felt that we had started to find the balance between...

between a recognizable football kit and the, you know, our version of it.

How do I feel?

I feel quite excited, and terrified at the same time.

Oh, my God, so many possibilities.

So many, but, oh, my God, how will I choose the good idea?

So it's a bit, like, super exciting, but at the same time, it's like,

"Oh, I want to make the good choice."

Asian faces are much easier to work on.

Oh, good.

Because for us, we always wanted to put dark colour here.

-Yes, to make it... -To have a crease.

Yes, the crease, like what you have.

That's funny! That's so funny!

So the first thought as I begin creation is, like, makeup that are not,

let's say, traditionally Cirque.

And try to find a blend, a contemporary blend,

that can have a Cirque touch, but also, a sport feeling.

It's just to create, like, looks that have not been done before.

When we start, you know, writing the story,

when Mukhtar was writing the story, we didn't want to make a pitch,

we didn't want to make a square or rectangular being too literal.

But at the same time, we wanted to make a gaming place.

So it's a mix of what kids are getting to, you know?

What kind of information, what kind of visual

to the pleasure of being a kid

and playing in the back streets with just a ball.

And with a ball you can do everything.

So to make it simple.

So that was the main experience to go highhanded

with almost like a video game, to put the video game down

and putting the ball on a back alley of your street, you know,

and playing football.

So today we're at Service Vision in Barcelona, it's a studio.

We're filming a number of scenes for the show.

We'll have some original video content that we want to work with.

We need to make sure every single detail is clear for when Leo gets here.

We need to make sure that everybody,

whether you're the director,

whether you're the runner, whether... whatever you're doing,

everybody needs to know what they're doing,

just so that when he comes we can really be as efficient as possible,

as fast as possible, but more importantly,

we need to create the best work in that time that we have as possible.

We're doing an incredible 3D scan, it's like top class technology

that we're using to be able to capture Messi in 3D.

Just to show all the wonders of Lionel Messi.

Why is he so fast?

You know, we're gonna show what the human eye cannot see.

So the next step of the creative process after this

is we go back to Montreal.

It's really exciting because we have, like, three weeks

before the artists start to come.

Now we've hired all the artists for the show.

All the work, all the real, physical work starts now as soon as we go back.

They say good things happen when they're supposed to happen.

And when they told me there would be a Messi show,

my friends told me, "You have to go, they will take you."

I told them, "No, forget it."

They told me it was in Barcelona and Argentina,

and I read the e-mail.

They invited me to work for them, and it was like "Wow."

Wow! I started crying.

I cried for three minutes in my house

and I called my mom crying,

and she thought something had happened to me.

I told her I was in the Messi show.

My family and I, we were so happy,

and being part of the best circus in the world, it was like, "Wow."

Here it is.

Tomorrow we will take a photo,

playing with the ball like that.

Have you ever thought about that?

Messi10 in the end means, for me, a life choice.

How I sleep, what I eat, and how I train.

It means living here in Montreal, then living further on tour.

Being with people that I haven't been before with.

Making new friends.

So it is... it is a beginning of a new phase of life.

But I also know that at one point it will be over.

Working with a robot makes you realize that the robot does every time the same,

because it's just a programmed machine.

I think some people, they would break on this.

For some people, a machine, it can destroy you,

because if your ego is too strong, and you think like,

"Oh, it's not like this,"

then you will get hit.

But if you respect it, it is a huge benefit for everybody.

This is what this simply means to me.

Hello. Good?

How are you? Good?

Freestyle means expressing something with the ball with any body part

except for with the hands.

And it's with music, and you do tricks with your head

by performing transitions while you are on your back,

investigating and creating things with your body by using a ball.

Freestyle football is an art.

And you can express emotion through this discipline.

The rope burns, scrapes, hurts...

It is hard.

So if you do it, it means that you really like it.

You won't use the rope just because, you will use it because you like it.

It's an intense performance.

I can't say too much, but...

the performance is...

"power."

Did you do the back, too?

I did everything.

Yeah? Damn. Okay.

-Fifty Canadian dollars. -Fifty? Okay.

My hair used to be here before.

-Did it, really? -Yeah.

I used to have long hair, braids, everything.

That's cool.

One of the most important aspects when dealing with artists is

that I'm not on a higher level than them,

I'm not bigger than them, or anything like that,

because, at the end of the day, we're both trying to create a great show.

I believe that's the only way

you can really bring the best out of people

is if they want to perform for you.

You know, it's like with you, they're really doing this with you.

Sometimes I forget that I am working for Cirque du Soleil

in a building where, when you stop and look around you,

you see all of this and the people, and you are a part of this.

Sometimes you forget this is your everyday life, but...

it is the biggest circus company in the world, and we are there.

To really come up with the next thing, I think that's what Cirque's trying to do

is we're trying to create trends, and try to be ahead of the curve.

In each creation I've done,

there's always a couple crazy ideas that...

we're always wondering if we're crazy enough to do it, or to try it.

How can I explain that better?

They have requests and ideas, and then we take those,

and I have a group of project managers that work with me.

And we're a team of...

And we design, and build to their specifications.

And then... so that they can work on stage.

To me, the most exciting moment is when we're able to achieve

one or two of those ideas and put them on stage for real.

So, to me, that's one of the thing that really drives me toward the creation.

That's the most exciting part for me.

We made about seven prototypes and different working mechanisms.

So it took quite a long time to figure out the best solution for this,

but I think we're pretty happy now with what we came with.

This is the shell of the ball that's all 3D printed.

Inside you have all the structure of the robot that's all 3D printed also,

with some metal parts.

There's a counterweight at the bottom

that's gonna move left and right,

so that the ball is gonna move left and right like this to steer.

And there's a motor also here that's gonna drive the ball,

so that's attached, and it's gonna spin,

so that's how the ball's gonna move front and back.

Messi soccer brings a whole gambit of balls,

and then we have a lot of balls in our show.

So it's like, "Well, what are we gonna do with these balls?

And how are we gonna use them? And how are we gonna incorporate them?"

Every engine moves one joint.

It's basically like your arm. Your wrist, elbow, shoulder, finger.

And then, you can tell every engine how much it moves.

And within this programmation, I interact.

And I try to find a way to make it organic,

so the machine's not just a machine, it's a bit of fantasy.

This is when it's important to be creative, to be maybe romantic,

or to be a little bit dreamy.

How do you get romantic with a robot?

It's not very romantic, it's quite brutal.

I can't tell you about the idea, I wonder who had that idea.

We went to Barcelona to get the actual crowd,

because I didn't want to use just a stereo microphone,

or, you know, a sound effects lab or anything.

I wanted to get the real feel.

And also, because the sound system has multiple speakers,

I wanted to put, like, one microphone to be one speaker,

so we can really feel that it's not just one track that you play

in multiple source.

So what we did is

we put 12 microphones all around the pitch.

And then we recorded all the cheers, reaction, Messi's goals, and all that.

So we all have the recording of this that we can really use.

And we recorded properly just for us,

instead of having just a basic crowd sound effects that, you know,

everybody's using somewhere else.

Cirque is founded on its creativity,

to allow people to dream, and to also find new, innovative ways

to entertain people.

It's the same with football.

Football has the same way of entertaining people.

You have to find creative ways to defeat your opponents.

And Messi, above everyone else, always finds different ways

to unlock doors.

So, for me, I think the key thing is finding

what is that thin line of creativity that merges both worlds together.

Messi... tries to overcome the obstacle... he continues and overcomes the second one.

The goalkeeper...

Goal, goal, goal, goal!

The incredible Leo Messi!

Each one can look at football like a jazz concert,

because there is a structural part and a technical part,

and then there is improvisation, which is very important.

Iniesta was a great improviser for years,

and Messi continues to be as well,

in such a way that when you least expect it,

he runs away and plays a "solo."

He starts playing in a way that no one expected,

and every time there is something new.

When we were presented with the project of Messi, doing a show about Messi,

obviously, we were quite scared,

because we didn't know how we could translate

football into acrobatics.

So that was a huge challenge, and a lot of sleepless nights.

We came up, too, with a new word, "acrobatised football."

So when we came up with this,

it was like, okay, this kind of opened a little door

that progressively became bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

And we got more and more confidence that we could actually do it.

We play football every morning. Fifteen minutes, it's so fun.

There were people who had played before, and others who had never touched a ball.

It is incredible to see how the body of someone who's never played before

starts moving and discovering things.

To be honest, I have been watching football games,

soccer games, I can count it on one hand.

I even have no idea what an offside is.

I'm not very good at soccer, so I've got a lot to learn.

You have a lot of artists who really love what they're doing here.

And it's really funny to see, when you walk past,

some of them just practicing things with the balls,

and when they don't have to 'cause it's nothing to do with their act,

but they still do it.

Of course, I'm crazy about football.

That's my job. That's my life.

So I watch football. I eat football. I drink football.

So yeah, I love football.

My part of the show not only reflects the child.

No matter if you are man or woman, you can achieve what you want.

I think there is a lot in common between professional football players,

professional acrobats.

Football is a bodily skill.

You need to be strong, agile, and to be alert and attentive.

That's all part of my discipline.

I believe we share this aspect, right?

Every day we got a lot of frustration.

Every day we think that this dream is not gonna be possible.

Every day you get people around you saying,

"Why are you losing your time doing this?"

You're almost in a split, then you get to the top,

and you split, drop, right?

-One, one, two-- -And then you split.

Okay. Three? Just to...

-Like I need it. -Okay.

It's about staying focused on your goal every day,

and make sure that you remember why you do this,

and why do you work hard on this.

A person continues being an athlete

and has to transform himself into an artist

that not only has to develop the athletic aspect, but also the body.

You have to listen carefully to the music.

There's the timing, coordination,

and knowing what your partner will do.

Dance class. Movement class.

Character. Clowning. You gotta make fun of yourself.

You gotta learn to balance the stage and be aware of what's around you,

because, you know, you're on stage, you're not solo.

You're not doing a sport, you know?

Lighting comes in. There's special effects.

There's traps. There's winches. There's all this stuff.

So we basically kind of open their eyes to that.

Or they go, one, two, three, four.

Five, six, seven, eight. Two, two, three, four.

Five six, seven, eight.

As far as Cata,

and all the other people coming purely from sport,

I bet you anything that their approach to see how can they showcase their skills

is gonna be completely different to what it was before joining Cirque.

As soon as the ball moves,

I would love to just see a reaction of that,

because the person in the back row is not gonna see your reaction

unless you physically do it.

I would say there's a lot of acrobatic shows around

that you can go and see, but what I've learned is that

you don't remember their greatest tricks.

You remember how you felt when you left.

That's always... That's kind of the...

what I want to leave people with when they come and see the show.

It's important that the metaphors that we use in the show is human based.

It's something that we all have in common.

You grab the ball. You got your thing.

Clip. Shoom.

It was a crazy time when the stage building began.

The show started taking shape.

It was the first performance on stage. We all had to be there.

It was much more intense, we worked even longer hours.

It's quite fantastic to see everything coming together,

because you imagine all of these things, but then you...

There's always the question

of whether you can actually achieve them or not,

whether you can pull all of the elements you need to pull together

to make the acts, to make the show.

We cannot say we have a perfect routine,

because there will always be details or things

that maybe the choreographers don't like,

and that they prefer to modify.

But they'll always bring out the best in you.

I think constructive criticism is good to improve oneself.

You have to accept it calmly,

and things will work out if you train every day.

So the music, it's totally new now.

And the lighting.

And the order of the act is totally brand new.

So, yeah, we work a lot.

We have a big week this week

to really focus on, like, details, and transitions,

and also some acts.

There's a vision that we all have,

which is that there is always the possibility to improve.

After three months working with music, last week it changed.

The music is different.

And this anger makes you say,

"Well, the skinny guy is not changing it to annoy you.

He is changing it because he thinks that this way

every detail works better."

There's been many moments when we're staging

and things don't go according to plan.

But I want my artists to stay in the best creative environment possible.

Even if something doesn't go well, that's between me and the creation team

to break it up.

So the human element, I think, is very important

because you give them that respect,

you get that back tenfold through their performance.

Sometimes, we start running the rehearsal, and suddenly he is doing something

and you say,

"Look, today Martin has changed his trick."

Then Sheila launched the diabolo and changed this.

That's so good!

This is something

that if you're used to seeing it, feeling it,

you disconnect, you forget. Like, this is an everyday thing.

Actually, there is Martin,

who is spinning in the air at eight meters high.

If he doesn't grab the bar, it is dangerous.

We forget that we're taking risks with millimetres, you know?

I think many people,

they ask me about the danger of the machine.

And to be honest, I always have five percent in me,

like, in my body, that is, like, scared to die.

The easiest way to compare this, maybe the lion tamer.

You need to expect that it could jump off the podium and could eat you.

And for me it's really important to never lose this...

this thing in the head, this respect.

And I'm not scared to work with the machine,

but I have a very big respect to it.

Yesterday, last night, we had a staging,

and we all moved the mat away

and I didn't have the lunge with me,

but I told him, "I'm scared."

And, "Can you just be stand beside me?" He said, "Yes."

And then, doing one trick, the swinging,

I was almost falling off,

and then he saw it, he went to me really fast,

and then he pushed me back to the wire.

Because that happened makes me feel so safe.

One day I came ready to go and I got hurt, but I didn't have to completely stop

because the injury didn't require it.

I just wasn't able to do many of the tricks

I'd been doing in my number.

If something physical happens and you're injured and stop,

there's a hormonal change, and you get depressed.

And the idea of not participating directly in the show

is not nice.

If someone gets hurt,

myself or another performer has to cover that gap.

If someone gets hurt, it's everybody's problem.

Even if it's only few months that we know each other,

it already feels like a family,

because I think everyone is missing his friend, his family, and...

it's necessary for us to rebuild a new family.

I've met 50 people here.

We were training with people from all over the world.

Today, I am a different person, thanks to the people I have met.

I have a little family. A big little family.

And I am trying to find build closer bonds with other people, right? It's like...

We're going to start travelling around the world with this show,

and we'll get to know each other better.

Messi is a team player.

You always have the feeling that he's a fatherly figure on the team,

and you can see it after scoring a goal.

He usually looks for his mates.

Even from his first match

when he scored a goal with Ronaldinho,

he's always looked for the family photo.

In this era of selfies where people are looking to be individuals,

he is looking for the team.

So, one, two, three...

Johnny, two, three...

and four.

So you ready?

-Yeah. -Silence, please!

So make sure nobody else is talking.

Yeah, now, everybody is practicing, huh?

Oh, I like that. I like that.

I go to the stadium

We sing with friends

Until we win

Yes.

And so we will forever

Beautiful!

Support our team

The day of the match

-I go to the stadium -Yes, yes!

We sing with friends

Until we win

Come on, come on!

I am a football lover

And so I will forever

Support my team

And sing for them

Messi!

Messi!

Messi!

She gets lifted and just...

-Like, we're-- -Yeah, sure, yeah.

I can do a break there. Yeah.

That's what I mean by, when I say support the action.

-Yeah. -Thing like that.

Yeah, yeah.

Then it finish...

And then it's like, we're building to something,

and it's okay to be not silent, but low, like--

Maybe just piano.

Yeah, just like a piano key or something...

but not like playing, do you know what I mean?

-Just like lingering. -Yeah.

Something lingering, they get up...

Then when they do their trick, boom,

you put it on where she hit it right there,

make it musically sound good.

If we have to cut,

-this is what we would cut. -Yeah.

So basically we would do popcorn when they all go like this,

and then they'll go in the centre, they go in, they all peel out,

and then it's the final jump for her to come in.

That's what we're trying to push,

but there's a lot of resistance.

When you're working with a director that knows exactly what they want

from the get-go, and they have a vision and the...

He knows exactly.

So it's... it's a blessing in a sense where, you know if it's...

if it works or not.

But it's also a lot of work

because I have to do ten, twelve versions sometimes of a song,

just for... trying stuff, we need to do trial and error and boom,

we're trying this, we're trying that, and...

It's been a pleasure working with him,

and it's not done, so it's going to be fun.

I would now... Do it again, but just wait a little bit.

Live your dreams.

-Live your dreams. -Okay.

Something in that part,

instead of... Live your dreams.

-Okay. -It's too quick, you know.

Live your dreams.

Yeah. That is probably the best one. Did you hear it? Like... yeah.

Try it again.

Dream big...

Dream big...

It's really simple, but...

it fits with the show so well.

The 14th of August, 2019, Montreal...

there will be a full rehearsal, the last one in Montreal,

before disassembling everything and heading to Barcelona.

The idea was to have all the music ready

and we're still tinkering.

I think we are ready for the final part,

where there are the details that will make all the difference.

It's not easy.

-This is not easy! -So you'll give me another one?

I'm sorry.

I just can't wait to do it in front of the audience,

because right now we do it just us together,

and it will be so nice to perform in front of the people,

so I'm very, like...

I really want this energy. I really want to make it happen.

I'm really excited to see you guys, seriously,

'cause I think we're in a place now...

Like, yeah, you should be smiling, you should be happy,

because I think, you know,

you have something to show, so be proud of that.

It's the first show that we're doing where we're trying not to stop,

we have goals in there now, like, it's just really fun.

So let's go out there and let's just have fun,

and let's really kill this crowd.

-It's match day! -It's match day!

And make sure you sing!

I would switch it around.

And you do a strobe effect or something, and...

It was good to see a crowd,

because it made me know where I need to work on,

and where I... where I know it's going in a good direction as well.

I'm not... convinced about the look you are trying to get.

It doesn't work... for me it doesn't work.

So it's not clear what you are trying to get with that.

But I'm not giving you my notes. It's just superficial things off the cuff.

Off the cuff.

Obviously, I'm never satisfied.

That's my... that's my job,

always trying to push the creatives a bit further.

But I was quite happy where we were.

I felt that coming in to Barcelona

we only had to tweak things, we didn't have to rebuild the show...

which happens sometimes.

We discuss what they've seen, what makes sense to them,

what doesn't make sense to them,

they ask questions, they challenge us as well,

which is great, because...

they're not there every day.

So it's great to have eyes

that come from outside to come and see the show,

and also experienced eyes that know

where we are in the process, right now, of creation.

-Bye. -Bye.

-Thank you, guys. Bye-bye. -Bye-bye. See you in Barcelona.

Dribbling two, I think the lights were a lot better in this number, and...

The only thing I'm fighting with right now is at the end of dribbling two,

they're not here right now, but...

do we finish in the centre,

or do we finish on the side with him the way she started on?

You know, it could be a thing where...

she starts to dream, but then she thinks

she's looking at the end instead of finishing.

And then we also give...

referee more space to come in, you know, so...

Maybe we'll look at that when we get to...

It's just not my mind.

I have a team, I have a team for a reason, I have a team

that also challenges me as well, as well as me challenging them.

I think that's very important, it's very...

I would say arrogant to think

that everything is just my way or the highway.

You know, it's crazy to think that there's so many people

that have experiences, so I want to use my team as much as possible to see,

"Okay, guys, what do you think works? What doesn't work?"

And then, of course, then it's my decision

to choose which notes make sense,

'cause we get notes from quite a few people,

which is good, 'cause everybody is invested in the show.

I just want to say, we're about to go on a break,

a very, very, well-deserved break.

So, like, I'll sound a bit like your father at this point

-to take care of yourselves. -Yeah.

Especially your bodies.

I said to all the cast that I've worked with

"your bodies are your temples."

So don't do crazy acrobatics jumping off...

-Yeah. -...off rooftops into swimming pools...

Don't do other nuts things on the street,

you know, really take this time to rest.

My dream is to have a fully fit squad ready to go.

To have you back to the show as well, Nacho.

Oleg is nearly there, so...

we need you... we need to have you guys back

so that we have a full squad to go forward.

Enjoy it.

-See you. -See you.

Take good care.

I'm really happy you're on the project, so thank you.

Enjoy you days off. Rest.

-I will do for sure. -Yes, rest.

-I will. I'm going to rest so good. -Please, a little bit.

It's done.

-We are going to train anyway. -I am going to train anyway.

It's important to...

yeah, to take care of my body,

and what I put in my body, what I eat,

is a big, big part of it.

'Cause I was vegetarian for four years,

while I was in the service school in the Netherlands,

and now I developed...

yeah, I would say a more healthy approach

towards eating meat.

If I can afford it or, yeah, if you can do this,

I support the...

the right meat industry.

And this meat I bought in the butcher that...

gets the food from the... the meat from the Pyrenees

from small farmers,

so it also supports the local industry.

No more eggs.

Hey, Bessie. Hey.

For me, I mean, it's an experiment.

It's a crazy action to get a chicken, you know, in the middle of the city

or in the backyard here.

But at the same time, I would like her to jump and catch it in the air,

but she's not an acrobat chicken.

Now, my next project would be a goat... just a goat.

But also then, with all the...

First, just for the milk, I want to make cheese,

like, learn to make cheese

from the goat,

because it's a very simple animal, it almost needs nothing.

But I will need like four times the space than I have now with a goat.

Just a moment, I have a chicken on my arm.

So the biggest challenge is coming tomorrow.

Then my landlord comes, and he doesn't know I have the chickens.

I need to blackmail him...

with... not blackmail him, but I bought...

He's going to get the premiere tickets for the show.

So, when I left Montreal I had a...

what I did was,

straight away the next day, I didn't take a rest,

and made sure I went through the last run that we did,

and I had a... I would say I think it was a 34 page note.

So, all of these notes, I sent it to all the different departments

whether they were choreographers, music designer,

stage designer, everybody, everybody got something.

We would only really know what type of show we had

and what it was once we got here,

in Barcelona, into the Spantech tent.

It's really an enormous show.

We've got about 170 costumes in the show.

We still knew there was a lot work to be done

and a lot of integration.

And so for the past month here we've just been doing that.

Now, we're just refining, trimming, tuning,

and we're going to start to run the show more and more in rehearsals,

so we get a good rhythm in the new reality

of the bigger space,

also for the artists, the artist need to reach

the people in the very back row of the arena.

So this is something new, like,

suddenly we have all of these people to react to.

The biggest risk in the last three weeks,

I would say, of staging, is injuries coming in on artists.

You're pushing and you're pushing the artist,

but you have to also know how much you can push.

Sometimes you don't know

because each artist's body is completely different,

and that's why I have to know who the artists are

and how vulnerable their body is.

We have to plan now where the artists don't have to go full out every time,

because we need them in ten days for the Premiere,

but at same time we have to find the balance

that they do need to do it full out

to know the timing of everything.

Well...

Okay. Then we do legs, glutes, high back

and for all others I'll help you out with the gun.

-Okay. -But very smooth, okay?

-Okay. -The work is inertial.

We're gonna do it with thoracic and hip rotation.

It's a past injury.

It was a good feeling

that when I climbed the rope

I wasn't thinking about whether or not I could.

I had a good recovery during the holiday period.

-You don't have the pass today? -Today I have rehearsal.

-Do you have rehearsal? -Yes.

-At what time? -After this.

Have a good one. Enjoy.

Have a good one. Enjoy.

-Have a good one, mate. -Thank you.

Have a moment with that crowd, okay?

That crowd, okay?

I'm not done with you, boom! And then you grab it, you go.

Sometimes when we do our routines without a crowd

it's strange to look at the seats

and not receive an answer.

It's not the same when you are doing it in front of the wall.

It is not like when you do it for a crowd

and you see their reaction and enthusiasm.

In the end, it's like a good test.

It's more for us than for the creators.

We need to know if we are doing good,

if we need a more energy, or to bring it down a little.

I use the time of the makeup to listen to podcasts to learn something.

So many people, they think that we need to plant more trees

to have better air.

But there's scientific research that says that it's also not beneficial.

This time for makeup is relaxing, you can spend time on your own

and get ready.

It's nice, you can focus on your routine

and things you have to do.

You can enjoy it.

Everyone, there are ten minutes before animation,

and twenty minutes to start the show.

Full costume. Full makeup.

And also quick change, everything, so this is the first show,

first, really run through for us, so...

It's just something there, it's gonna explode,

I don't know what it is.

You already feel really nervous before going out,

but in the end I feel calmer now

because when you shout, you release that tension

that's generated here.

Ten days before the premiere,

I'm feeling excitement because it's soon, it's coming.

We feel a little bit tired, too,

because of the amount of work we've done in the last two weeks.

Everything that we've done, we're opening up to the public very soon.

So, that's... I mean, there's a...

There's a sense of, you know, nerves that you feel when you do that.

It's also the first time I think my family will come to a show

and see one of the Cirque shows that I've created.

So there's a lot I would say riding on it

that makes it interesting for me, and it also gives me the drive

to keep on pushing, because I know how many people will see this.

I always have the desire to achieve more,

love it more, and go out again in front of a full audience.

It's gonna be three times more... six times more. Just imagine.

Messi!

Messi!

Messi!

Messi!

Messi!

Last ten minutes of the match.

Messi's looking for the ball, starting from the centre of the pitch.

The best player in the world. He runs inside, outside...

Phenomenal! Lionel is going up against the goalkeeper.

Five, four, three one...

Goal, goal, goal, goal!

Goal!

We proposed an interactive experience "Messi10 Challenge."

You can have the experience of being Leo Messi for a while

and play at being like Leo.

So it's trying to add to your experience

and not only entertain you for an hour and a half,

or earlier when you're buying the ticket and finding out what the show is about,

generating content around the show.

Leo is the player all technicians want to direct.

Leo is the player we all want to play on our team.

He is the one the rivals we want to avoid.

Messi and football are synonyms.

I think Messi creates a language.

I think of to Marc Pastor, a writer from Barcelona,

who invented a dictionary definition

for the adjective "messimo," related to Messi.

"One, adjective: who excels in football,

who exhibits to high degree the technique,

persistence, quality, and strength in a match or goal.

And second, by extension: a qualifying or final confrontation

in which a stellar performance by Leo Messi has been seen."

All right. Okay.

Okay.

I am anxious to see it, to see how everything is.

I've been told some things, but I haven't seen it.

I have waited for this day

and I'd like to be surprised just like everyone else.

When I was a child, I liked playing. I never stopped.

And no, I never dreamed that all this would happen to me.

Thank God it was bigger than I could've ever dreamed.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil!

Every day I devoted myself to the day,

and I gave as much as I could.

So, I'm not afraid of something,

I'm rather positive and I want just to be consistent,

and every day to add a little bit of it.

That's my objective.

When I start to walk forward to my role,

I get scared of it, every time.

When I get on the rope, it's getting less,

because now is the time on the rope.

So at that moment,

my mind is already empty.

I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't hear the music.

I couldn't hear the applause from the audience

until the trick's finished,

and then the sound come back to me again, so...

To be number ten is to make a difference.

Look back, see that the team is there...

then go ahead.

It's a long journey. It's about trying your best

to be the best.

Really, really, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm sure you've seen the response from the crowd,

and, like, they were saying, the connection you had with the public,

it was there for everyone to see.

So I'm proud of you, everybody's proud of you.

Thank you so much.

Go and enjoy yourself tonight,

'cause you deserve every bit of that time. Thank you.

I just want to tell, today, what I saw is some passionate people.

I saw people who were looking into the eyes of the audience.

This is very, very important,

and this is the sign and the great DNA of the show.

And you remembered one thing...

when you cross this line from the backstage to the stage,

this is for your audience, and...

Show that you're proud father and mothers of your new little babies.

So congratulations,

love you, and wish you a great, great tour.

I had to change my life for football and make decisions when I was young.

I always fought for my dream.

I was sure I wanted to play football professionally.

I did everything I could to get it, and thank God I obtained it,

but I had to leave several things behind.

I left my country when I was 13, my friends, and my family.

I'm studying the strengths and the incredible achievements of Messi.

And in doing this and building the show,

I realized recently that I've learnt a lot personally.

Sometimes you think to yourself, "Okay, I'm doing this as a concept,"

but you start to analyse yourself as well and you start to think to yourself,

"What are my strengths and, you know, how can I improve my strength?"

And I realized during this project

I've grown as a stage director.

I've grown as a creator,

because as we're doing this, Messi's still breaking records

and it's just showing me that nothing is set.

And I just hope that I take all of this knowledge that I've gained

to know what I can do next,

because this is a beacon in my career right now.